mercoledì 11 giugno 2014

Gothic Music in Bohemia 13th-15th century

31 tracks - MP3 192 Kbps - RAR 96 Mb

In the 13th century the last of the Přemyslide rulers strengthened the political position of the Czech lands within the framework of Europe. This was also a time when music flowered, particularly at the Prague courts. Several prominent minnesingers resided there, notably Neidhart von Reuenthal (1190-1240) and Tannhäuser (1200-1266). Medieval musicians, minstrels and joculators included not only love songs (#1, 2, 3) but also dance music in their repertoires. Ductia (#4) is one of the oldest preserved polyphonic dances of that time. Czech music was influenced by the love songs of the troubadours, and by that of trovères, as transmitted eastward by minnesingers. The love song Dřievo sie listem odievá (#5) and the song Otep myry mieť moj milý (#7) show these influences. At the same time Otep myry mieť moj milý combines in a remarkable way the themes of earthly and spiritual love by paraphrasing extracts from the biblical Song of Song. Two similar dance tunes of the joculatores, one of them is called "czaldy waldy" (#6) in manuscript, have also been preserved in Czech sources. Several polyphonic compositions with sacred texts (#8, 9, 10, 11) show clearly that the influence of the European "ars antiqua" could also be seen in the music of Bohemia.

Even though renowned French composer Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377) spent many years in the service of the Czech King John of Luxembourg (until the year 1346), we do not find any influences of his compositional style on Czech music of that period. Nevertheless Machaut's music, as well as that by other composers of the French "ars nova", was known in Bohemia during the second half of the 14th century. Ars nova influences can be traced in the motet Ave coronata (#14) and in the song Que est ista (#15), as well as in the student song Compangant omnes iubilose (#16) and the bi-textual Christmas carol More festi querimus (#17).

No Czech secular music from the late 14th or early 15th century has been preserved. But we know that world music was cultivated in the university milieu and in educated society generally. The richness of this repertoire is represented by several works (#18–25). Delight was taken in musical puns and complexity of all types. The roundeau Vaer rouve in dander (#18) has a canon in its lower voices (tenor and contratenor). The virelai Je porte mie blemant by Donato da Firenze (#20) is preserved in three different sources, performed in succession here. A rondeau Amis tout dous (#24) by the Parisian composer Pierre de Molins exists also in two instrumental paraphrases, both known as Amis douls vis (#23 and 25), but each in a different metre. Two virelais (#21 and 22) also offer an interesting comparison, a three-voiced and four-voiced version of the same tune. Tne passionate italian temperament is evident in the ballata Poche partir (#19) by the blind Florentine organist Francesco Landini (1325-1397).

One of the towering musical figures of the 15th century was Guillaume Dufay (1400-1474), whose music represents the summation of medieval practice (L'alta bellezza tua #26) and the incipient renaissance style (Vergene bella #27). His influence is especially evident when one compares the Gloria "ad modum tubae" (#28) and the Gloria "amore dei" (#29). Both works imitate the blowing of trumpets, imitation of musical instruments as well as other sounds (e.g. Palmiger a vernulis #31) was a popular programatic device at that time. The song Modulisemus omnes (#30) reflects the style of Dufay and his contemporaries and shows characteristics of the transition to the new incipient style — Renaissance.